,i #aaeth ,,congress #ast ,session ,h4 ,r4 #bjjc ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,april #f1 #bjag,mr4 ,castro of ,texas introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,education and the ,workforce ,a ,,bill ,to amend the ,every ,student ,succeeds ,act to provide grants for high-quality1 local prekindergarten programs1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,pre-,k for ,,usa ,act4 #b4 ,local prekindergarten development grants ,title ,,ix of the ,every ,student ,succeeds ,act 7,public ,law #aad-ie2 #abi ,stat4 #babd7 is amended-- 7#a7 in section #ibab1 in the section heading by striking ,preschool and inserting ,state preschool2 and 7#b7 by inserting after section #ibab the following3 #ibab;,a4 ,local prekindergarten development grants 7a7 ,prekindergarten development grants 7#a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary of ,health and ,human ,services1 jointly with the ,secretary of ,education 7referred to in this section jointly as the ,secretaries71 shall award competitive grants to eligible local entities to assist such entities in establishing high-quality prekindergarten programs4 7#b7 ,grant duration ,the ,secretaries shall award grants under this section for a period of not more than #c years4 ,such grants shall not be renewed4 7#c7 ,application ,to be considered for a grant under this section1 an eligible local entity shall submit an application to the ,secretaries at such time1 in such manner1 and accompanied by such information as the ,secretaries may reasonably require4 7#d7 ,matching requirement 7,a7 ,in general ,to be eligible to receive a grant under this section an eligible local entity shall contribute1 for the activities for which the grant was awarded1 non-,federal matching funds in an amount equal to not less than #bj percent of the amount of the grant4 7,b7 ,non-,federal funds ,to satisfy the requirement of subparagraph 7,a7 an eligible local entity may use-- 7i7 non-,federal resources in the form of ,state funding1 local funding1 or contributions from philanthropy or other private sources1 or a combination of such resources2 or 7ii7 in-kind contributions4 7,c7 ,financial hardship waiver ,the ,secretaries may waive the requirement of subparagraph 7,a7 or reduce the amount of matching funds required under such subparagraph for an eligible local entity that has submitted an application for a grant under this section if the entity demonstrates1 in the application1 a need for such a waiver or reduction due to extreme financial hardship1 as determined by the ,secretaries4 7#e7 ,double-,dipping prevention ,the ,secretaries may not award a grant under this section to an eligible local entity for a fiscal year if the ,state in which the entity is located has applied for1 or has been awarded1 a grant under section #ibab for such fiscal year4 7b7 ,definitions ,in this section3 7#a7 ,early childhood education program ,the term early childhood education program has the meaning given the term in section #ajc of the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajjc74 7#b7 ,eligible local entity ,the term eligible local entity means-- 7,a7 a local educational agency1 including a charter school or a charter management organization that acts as a local educational agency1 or an educational service agency in partnership with a local educational agency2 7,b7 an entity 7including a ,head ,start program or licensed child care setting7 that carries out1 administers1 or supports an early childhood education program2 or 7,c7 a consortium of entities described in subparagraph 7,a7 or 7,b74 7#c7 ,full-day ,the term full-day means a day that is-- 7,a7 equivalent to a full school day at the public elementary schools in the ,state2 and 7,b7 not less than #e hours4 7#d7 ,high-quality prekindergarten program ,the term high-quality prekindergarten program means a prekindergarten program supported by an eligible local entity that includes1 at a minimum1 the following elements based on nationally recognized standards3 7,a7 ,serves children who-- 7i7 are age #d or children who are age #c or #d1 by the eligibility determination date 7including children who turn age #e while attending the program72 or 7ii7 have attained the legal age for ,state-funded prekindergarten4 7,b7 ,requires high staff qualifications1 including that teachers meet the requirements of one of the following clauses3 7i7 ,the teacher has a bachelor's degree in early childhood education or a related field with coursework that demonstrates competence in early childhood education4 7ii7 ,the teacher-- 7,i7 has a bachelor's degree in any field2 7,,ii7 has demonstrated knowledge of early childhood education through passage of a ,state-approved assessment in early childhood education2 7,,iii7 engages in ongoing professional development in early childhood education for not less than #b years2 and 7,,iv7 is enrolled in a ,state-approved educator preparation program in which the teacher receives ongoing training and support in early childhood education and is making progress toward the completion of the program in not more than #c years4 7iii7 ,the teacher has a bachelor's degree in any field with a credential1 license1 or endorsement that demonstrates competence in early childhood education4 7,c7 ,maintains a maximum class size of #bj children4 7,d7 ,maintains a child to instructional staff ratio that does not exceed #aj to #a4 7,e7 ,offers a full-day program4 7,f7 ,provides developmentally appropriate learning environments and evidence-based curricula that are aligned with the ,state's early learning and development standards4 7,g7 ,offers instructional staff salaries comparable to kindergarten through grade #ab teaching staff4 7,h7 ,provides for ongoing monitoring and program evaluation to ensure continuous improvement4 7,i7 ,offers accessible comprehensive services for children that-- 7i7 include1 at a minimum-- 7,i7 screenings for vision1 dental1 health 7including mental health71 and development and referrals1 and assistance obtaining services1 when appropriate2 7,,ii7 family engagement opportunities 7taking into account home language71 such as parent conferences 7including parent input about their child's development7 and support services1 such as parent education and family literacy services2 7,,iii7 nutrition services1 including nutritious meals and snack options aligned with requirements set by the most recent ,child and ,adult ,care ,food ,program guidelines promulgated by the ,department of ,agriculture as well as regular1 age-appropriate1 nutrition education for children and their families2 7,,iv7 programs coordinated with local educational agencies and entities providing programs authorized under section #fai and part ,c of the ,individuals with ,disabilities ,education ,act 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #adai and #adca et seq472 7,v7 physical activity programs aligned with evidence-based guidelines1 such as those recommended by the ,institute of ,medicine1 and that take into account and accommodate children with disabilities2 and 7,,vi7 additional support services1 as appropriate1 based on the findings of a needs analysis2 and 7ii7 are provided on-site1 to the maximum extent feasible4 7,j7 ,provides high-quality professional development for staff1 including regular in-class observation for teachers and teacher assistants by individuals trained in observation and which may include evidence-based coaching4 7,k7 ,meets the education performance standards in effect under section #fda;,a7a77#a77;,b7 of the ,head ,start ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #ihcf;a7a77#a77;,b774 7,l7 ,maintains evidence-based health and safety standards4 7#e7 ,,esea terms ,the terms local educational agency and ,state have the meanings given the terms in section #haja of the ,elementary and ,secondary ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ghja74 7c7 ,authorization of appropriations ,there are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section-- 7#a7 #bej1jjj1jjj for fiscal year #bjah2 and 7#b7 such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years #bjai through #bjbg4 4 #c4 ,clerical amendment ,the table of contents in section #b of the ,every ,student ,succeeds ,act 7,public ,law #aad-ie2 #abi ,stat4 #ahjb7 is amended by striking the item relating to section #ibab and inserting the following3 ,sec4 #ibab4 ,state preschool development grants4 ,sec4 #ibab;,a4 ,local prekindergarten development grants4 4